Coffee
Sourcing coffee
We source from Ywa Ngan township villages, including Myaing, Nwar Ban Gyi, Ga Zat, Kyaut Ngat, Kyaut Pone, and Ga Gyi.
Ywa Ngan is in Taunggyi District in the Southern upland region of Shan State in Myanmar. Coffee fields are primarily grown by remote mountainous tribal villagers including Danu, Pa’O and Sha (Dai) ethnic groups.
Coffee here grows across many hills. The coffee fields have bright green leaves, plump red cherries, and delicate, beautifully fragrant, snow-white flowers among many spectacular golden and white pagodas. The coffee fields sit within a land framed by diverse beauty with amazing views over Taunggyi and Inle Lake. In the morning these mountain areas are full of the sound of insects and birds teeming with life and joy. This is an ancient land of glory and traditions.
From these mountaintops comes our name, Ywa Ngan – it is the land that grows coffee. This stunning land of deep soils, high mountains, blue skies and white clouds with the promise of rain. Our promise is to bring you this incredible coffee.
Farmers primarily grow Catuai, an Arabica mutation of yellow Caturra and Mundo Nova. Catuai is a popular variety with high yields, and consistent and reliable quality. Market demands ensure producers earn a good living.
Catuai presents notable and lovely profiles of chocolate and nuts with finishing notes of spices like nutmeg. We take utmost care to produce the very best of these flavours.
Our specialty coffee cups at 85+ with irresistible flavours of citrus, chocolate, and nuts.
Supporting Catuai farmers
In our region, Catuai is grown across 350 hectares (ha) by 500 small-scale farmers, each with 0.2 ha and growing 100 trees at 1,300m ASL. Over 80% of our farmers are women, including 30% youth aged 18-25.
We support the farmers with regular seedlings which take only three years to harvest. We provide training in good agricultural practices (GAP), as Catuai responds well to good management. If properly cared for, production increases. It is one of the first varieties to come into harvest, bringing earlier incomes and breaking the lean season.
Flowering: April, May
Harvest: November to March
Most of the farmers intercrop their coffee with shade trees, such as avocados, macadamia tree, jackfruit, lemon, orange, papaya, and beans. These plants provide nutrition and an extra income source from local market sales.